Interactive display system

ABSTRACT

An interactive display system including: a first display; a movable display device having a second display which is substantially smaller than the first display, an input device for inputting information, and a position sensor for providing position information of the movable display device relative to the first display; and a computer, coupled to the first display and the movable display device, for storing image information for the first and second displays. The computer supplies stored image information to the second display in response to the position information provided by the position sensor of the movable display. In another embodiment, the first display is replaced with a model or a physical object, and the computer supplies image information to a display in response to position information provided by the position sensor representing the position of the movable display device relative to the model or physical object.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an interactive display system whichallows an operator to interact with information displayed on a largeprojection surface, with various parts of a model, or with a physicalobject through the use of movable display device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In general, various interactive display and computer display systems areknown in the art. The following are examples of such systems.

The article entitled "Absolute Display Window Mouse/Mice", ResearchDisclosure, March 1987, No. 275, by Feigenblatt discloses flat paneldisplays which are manually-movable on a large image surface and whichserve as a panning display window. The position and orientation of thedisplays on the large image surface are sensed by digitizers, and thisinformation is used to formulate image information to be shown on thedisplays. The article discloses that a variety of conventional locatingdevices, such as sound sensors, may be employed to sense the displayposition/orientation.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,186 to Koga et al discloses several computer displaysystems, each of which includes an integrated input/output device whichincorporates a pen-to-wire grid electromagnetically-coupled digitizerand a flat-panel Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). One display systemincludes a relatively large cathode ray tube (CRT) display, and arelatively small LCD for the pen-digitizer. In order to store pixel datafor the CRT, the computer display system includes a frame memory. Thecontents of the frame memory for the CRT may be copied to the display ofthe pen-digitizer. The display system also includes a scrolling and azooming function.

In order to provide the scrolling and zooming functions, thepen-digitizer input has three coordinate-input areas. Each of thesecoordinate-input areas is substantially rectangular in shape and isspecified in terms of X and Y coordinate values entered by thepen-digitizer. If a pair of coordinates values (X,Y) from thepen-digitizer is within the scroll appointment area, then a coordinatetransformation is performed by the computer to normalize the coordinatevalues to a pair of start-address coordinates (X₀, Y₀), and then thecomputer transfers the start-address coordinates to a CRT/LCD coordinatetransformation controller.

For the zooming function, if the pair of coordinates (X,Y) from thepen-digitizer is within the zooming control section area, a display modeis toggled between a one-half display mode and a normal display mode. Inthe one-half zooming display mode, every other pixel in the X and Ydirections is omitted from the data to be displayed.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,895 to Sliwkowski discloses an interactivecomputer-aided design system which includes two CRT screens: a graphicscreen for viewing the end product of a graphic design, and a functionscreen for entering data. Data may be entered into the computer-aideddesign system by a light pen interacting with the function screen.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,433 to Biferno discloses a display system whichincludes two displays: a primary LCD and a backup display. The backupdisplay is located behind the primary display relative to the line ofsight of a viewer. The primary LCD becomes transparent upon failure inwhich case the backup display becomes visible to the viewer.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,255 to Hohmann discloses a tank or othermilitary-device simulator which displays a computer-synthesized image ofa battle situation on a television monitor placed in the field of viewof an aiming periscope for viewing by a gunner trainee operating thesimulator. A monitor buffer memory, a target memory and a sight memoryare provided in a monitor control unit for storing image data for abackground-image, target-image and reticle-image components of thecomputer-synthesized image, respectively. The background-image componentof the computer-synthesized image is a "cut-out" portion taken from alarger background image. The background image is selected by signalsfrom control handles in the simulator. The control handles allow atrainee to follow the reticle of a movable target while the cut-out fromthe background image experiences a continous change.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,690 to Waller discloses a graphic display terminalfor storing and displaying three-dimensional graphic information. Thegraphic display terminal permits a user to view the storedthree-dimensional graphic information from different directions. Theterminal includes a spherical panning system which enables the user topan around a displayed object so as to view the object from differentdirections. The user can enter changes in longitude and latitude topermit a new viewing point. The graphic display terminal also includes azoom feature so that the display can be magnified.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an interactive display system whichincludes: a first display; a movable display device including a seconddisplay which is substantially smaller than the first display, an inputdevice for inputting information, and a position sensor for sensing theposition of the movable display device relative to the first display;and a computer, coupled to the first display and the movable displaydevice, for storing image information for the first and second displays.The computer supplies stored image information to the second display inresponse to the position sensed by the position sensor of the movabledisplay device, and in response to information inputted by the inputdevice.

In other embodiments of the invention, the first display is replacedwith a model or a physical object. In these embodiments, the computersupplies image information to a display in response to positioninformation from the position sensor representing the position of themovable display device relative to the model or the physical object.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the interactive display system according tothe invention;

FIGS. 2A-2B are flowcharts showing the operation of the system of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 shows the image data displayed on the large display of the systemof FIG. 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a look-up table according to the invention;

FIG. 5 shows first image data displayed on the small display of thesystem of FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 shows second image data displayed on the small display of thesystem of FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the interactive display system according toa second embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 shows the coordinate layout of the large screen according to athird embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the interactive display system 10 accordingto the invention. The interactive display system 10 includes arelatively large fixed display 20, a computer 30 having an associatedstorage or memory 40 device, and a movable display device 50. Themovable display devices 50 includes a position sensor 60, an inputdevice 70, and a relatively small display 80.

The large display 20, and the small display 80 of the movable displaydevice 50, receive image information stored in the storage device 40 viathe computer 30. The computer 30 receives input signals from the inputdevice 70 and the position sensor 60 of the movable display device 50.

The movable display device 50 is a hand-held device. The relativelysmall display 80 of the movable display device may be constructed from anumber of conventional display technologies, such as Liquid CrystalDisplay (LCD), Electroluminescent Display (EL) or Plasma Display. Theinput device 70 of the movable display device may be constructed fromsuch input device technologies as alphanumeric keypads, pressuresensitive switches, light pens, and/or voice recognition input devicesas is known in the art. The position sensor 60 of the movable displaydevice 50 is a three-dimensional tracking or position device whichoutputs information representing the position and orientation, i.e., theX, Y, Z, azimuth, elevation and roll, of the movable display devicerelative to the large fixed display 20. Such a position sensor may beconstructed from magnetic, radio, ultrasonic or infrared transducingtechnologies, as is known in the art. For example, the position sensor60 may be the commercially-available "3SPACE Isotrak" digitizer andtracker device sold by Polhemus Inc. which utilizes magnetic transducingtechnology and which provides six-degrees-of-freedom measurements ofposition and orientation information in formats suitable for display,processing, storage or transmission. Such three-dimensional positionsensors are also discussed in "Position and Orientation TrackingSystem", IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems,AES-15(5): 709-718, IEEE, September 1979.

As will be discussed below, in one embodiment of the invention a numberof icons are displayed on the relatively large display 20, and theposition sensor 60 of the movable display device 50 serves as athree-dimensional mouse for accessing the icons displayed on the largedisplay 20. Specifically, the position and orientation data provided bythe position sensor 60 is supplied to the computer 30 which determineswhether the position sensor is pointing or aimed at any one of the iconsdisplayed on the large display 20. If the computer 30 determines thatthe position sensor is aimed at one of the displayed icons, then imageinformation concerning that icon is supplied to the relatively smalldisplay 80 of the movable display device 50.

Referring to the flowchart of FIGS. 2A and 2B, the operation of theinteractive display system 10 shown in FIG. 1 will now be described.

In step S1, the position sensing device is calibrated relative to thelarge display 20. For the embodiment discussed above wherein iconsdisplayed on the large display are to be accessed, the general "target"for the position sensor device 60 is the area defined by the largedisplay 20. If the large display 20 is, for example, a rectangle, thenthe position sensing device 60 would be calibrated such that the fouredges of the rectangular large display 20 define the outer limits of the"target".

After calibration of the position sensor device 60, the process proceedsto step S2 wherein image data stored in storage device 40 is supplied tothe large display 20 via the computer 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the imagedata supplied to the large display 20 represents various icons. In FIG.3, icon A represents a "TO DO LIST", icon B represents a calendar, andicons C and D correspond to different work files.

Once the image data is displayed on large display 20, the processproceeds to step S3 where location information, i.e., X, Y, Z and thethree angles of rotation of the position sensor 50 relative to the largedisplay 20 are retrieved. Based on this location information, it isdetermined at step S4 whether or not the position sensor 50 is pointingat the large screen 20. This can be done by transforming thethree-dimensional location information from the position sensor 50 intoa two-dimensional coordinate, and then comparing the transformedtwo-dimensional coordinate with the area defined by the large screen 20.Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the large screen 20 is defined by arange of two-dimensional coordinates between (Xmin, Ymin) and (Xmax,Ymax).

The location information from the position sensor 50 is transformed, forexample, by a look-up table stored in storage device 40, into atwo-dimensional coordinate which corresponds to where the positionsensor 50 is pointing at on the large display 20. The transformedtwo-dimensional coordinate is then compared by the computer 30 todetermine if it falls within the range of coordinates which define thelarge display 20. A similar transformation scheme utilizing a light-pendigitizer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,186 to Koga et al.

If it is determined at step S4 that the position sensor 60 is notpointing to the large screen 20, then the process proceeds back to stepS3 where location information from the position sensor 60 is againretrieved. On the other hand, if it is determined at step S4 that theposition sensor 60 is pointing to the large screen 20, then the processproceeds to step S5. At step S5 it is determined whether or not theposition sensor 60 is pointing to one of the icons displayed on thelarge screen 30. This can be accomplished in a manner similar to themanner it was determined in step S4 as to whether or not the positionsensor 60 was pointing to the large display 30. For example, as shown inFIG. 3, icon A representing the "TO DO LIST" is defined betweencoordinates (X'min, Y'min) and (X'max, Y'max) within the large screen20, whereas icon B representing the calendar is defined betweencoordinates (Xxmin, YYmin) and (XXmax, YYmax). Once the locationinformation from the position sensor 60 is transformed into atwo-dimensional coordinate corresponding to a point on the large display20 where the position sensor 60 is pointing to, then computer 30compares the transformed coordinate with the range of coordinates whichdefine the icons to determine whether or not there is a "match", i.e.,whether or not the transformed coordinate falls within one of the rangesof coordinates defining a displayed icon.

If in step S5 there is no "match", i.e., the position sensor is notpointing to any one of the icons displayed on the large screen 20, thenthe process proceeds back to step S3. On the other hand, if a "match" isfound in step S5, i.e., computer 30 determines that the position sensor60 is pointing to one of the displayed icons, then the process proceedsto step S6.

In stop S6, image data corresponding to the pointed-to icon is retrievedfrom the storage device 40 and supplied to the small display 80 wherethe retrieved image data is displayed. This can be accomplished by alook-up table which correlates the range of coordinates defining aparticular icon with an address of image data stored in storage device40.

As shown in the look-up table of FIG. 4, the range of coordinatesdefining icon A, i.e., (X'min,Y'min) through (X'max,Y'max), correspondsto an address for image data A, and the range of coordinates definingicon B corresponds to an address for image data B. If, for example, instep S5 it was determined that the position sensor 60 was pointing aticon A, i.e., the transformed coordinates of the position sensor 60 fallwithin the coordinate range defining icon A, then in step S6 the addressof image data A stored in storage device 40 would be retrieved anddisplayed on the small display 80 of the movable display device 50.

According to the invention, the stored image data A representsinformation which has some relation to icon A. FIG. 5 shows the imagedata A displayed on the small display 80 of the movable display device50 after it was determined that the position sensor 60 is pointing tothe "TO DO LIST" icon A. As shown in FIG. 5, the displayed image data,"SCHEDULE MEETING WITH BOSS RE: PROPOSED PLAN" bears a relation to the"TO DO LIST" icon A.

Referring again to the look-up table of FIG. 4, the range of coordinatesdefining icon A may correspond to either file A or file AA. However,file A is retrieved when the distance between the position sensor 60 andthe large display is greater than three meters, and file AA is retrievedwhen the distance between position sensor 60 and the large screen isless than three meters.

As shown in FIG. 6, similar to file A, file AA represents imageinformation which is related to the icon A; however, file AA containsimage information which is more specific than the image information offile A. Specifically, the image information contained in file Agenerally indicates that a meeting needs to be scheduled with the bossregarding the proposed plan. FIG. 6 shows the image information of fileAA displayed on the small display 80 of the movable display device 50.The image information shown in FIG. 6 represents specific details of theproposed plan indicated in file A, i.e., that new products should beadded to the company's line and that the company's catalog should beupdated to include the new products.

Thus, in step S6, the location information from the position sensor 60is used not only to determine which displayed icon is being pointed to,but also to determine the distance between the position sensor and thelarge screen 20 so that the corresponding file can be retrieved anddisplayed on the small display 80.

With the arrangement of files described above, an operator can firstpoint the position sensor 60 of the movable display device 50 towards anicon displayed on the large display at a distance greater than threemeters in order to retrieve a file containing image information whichgenerally corresponds to the aimed at icon. If after reviewing thisgeneral information, the operator desires to obtain more specificinformation concerning the displayed information, the operator can movethe position senor 60 of the movable device 50 closer to the largescreen, e.g., within three meters, in order to access a file whichcontains the more specific information. If the operator subsequentlymoves the position sensor 60 of the movable display 50 to a positionwhich is greater than three meters from the large screen 80, then thefile containing the general information will be again retrieved anddisplayed on the small display 80.

Once a retrieved file is displayed on the small display 80 at step S6,the process proceeds to step S7 (FIG. 2B) where it is determined whetheror not any one of the controls of the input device 70 has been engaged.If it determined in step S7 that none of the input device controls hasbeen engaged, then the process returns to step S3. On the other hand, ifin step S7 it is determined that one of the input device controls hasbeen engaged, then the process proceeds to determine which of the inputdevice controls has been engaged.

The process first proceeds to step S8 to determine whether or not thepause control has been engaged. Upon engagement of the pause control,the present display on the small display 80 is maintained regardless ofwhere the position sensor 60 of the movable display device 50 is aimed.Thus, upon engagement of the pause control new location information fromthe position sensor 60 is ignored. The pause control may be used, forexample, if an operator wishes to study the information displayed on thesmall display 80 of the movable display device 50 without concern as tothe position of the movable display device 50 relative to the largescreen 20. For example, the operator may engage the pause control andthen freely move across the room containing the large display to aposition where a chair is situated so that the operator can then sitdown in the chair and study the information displayed on the smalldisplay.

After the pause control is engaged, the process proceeds to step S8Awhere it is determined whether or not any other controls have beenengaged. If another control has been engaged, then the process proceedsto step S9 until the pause control is disengaged at which time theprocess proceeds back to step S3.

If it is determined at step S8 that the pause control is not engaged orif in step S8A it is determined that another control has been engaged,then the process proceeds to step S10 where it is determined whether ornot the next page control is engaged. The next page control allows thenext page of an accessed file to be retrieved. For example, if file AAcontains a number of pages of specific information, then the next pagecontrol can be utilized to allow an operator to access the differentpages of information.

If in step S10 it is determined that the next page control is engaged,then the process proceeds to step S11 where the next page of the presentfile is retrieved. The process then proceeds back to step S3.

If at step S10 it is determined that the next page control is notengaged, then the process proceeds to step S12 where it is determinedwhether or not any input controls have been engaged. The input controlsallow an operator to amend information in a particular file, or tocreate new files. For example, the input device 70 may include analphanumeric keypad in order to amend information contained in aparticular file. In addition, as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,895to Sliwkowski, the input device 70 may, for example, include a light penfunction screen so that formats and icons may be easily and rapidlychanged according to the operator's liking. Such a light pen functionscreen may be used to add new, or remove existing icons of the largescreen display 20.

If in step S12 it is determined that none of the input controls has beenengaged, then the process proceeds to step 3. If it is determined instep S12 that an input control has been engaged, the process proceeds tostep S13 to determine whether or not the inputted information affectsthe image information of the large display 20, e.g., the addition orremoval of an icon would affect the large display 80. If in step S13 itis determined that the inputted information affects the large display20, then the process proceeds to step S14 where the data base for theimage information of the large display 20 is updated and then theprocess returns to step S3. If in step S13 it is determined that theinputted information does not affect the image information of the largedisplay 20, the process proceeds to step S15 where the data basecontaining image information for the small display 80 is updated, andthen the process proceeds back to step S3.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the invention which is similar to theembodiment shown in FIG. 1, except that this embodiment includes asecond movable display device 50A. As shown in FIG. 7, the secondmovable display device 50A is identical to the first movable displaydevice 50, and contains a position sensor 60A, an input device 70A and asmall display 80A. When providing more than one movable display device50, 50A, greater flexibility is afforded to the interactive displaysystem 10'. For example, if an operator accesses a particular file onthe small screen 80, 80A of one of the movable display devices 50, 50A,and desires to maintain this particular file on the small screen forlater reference and also desires to access simultaneously another file,then this situation can be accomplished with the interactive displaysystem 10' of FIG. 7 which contains more than one of the movable displaydevices.

Specifically, this situation may be accomplished by first obtaining theparticular file on the small screen 80 of one of the movable displaydevices 50, placing a second movable display device 50A on top of thefirst movable display device 50 such that the position sensor 60A of thesecond movable display device 50A will be positioned relative to thelarge screen so as to access and display the same file displayed on thesmall screen 80 of the first movable display device 50. At this point,the pause control of input device 70, 70A of either the first or thesecond movable display device 50, 50A can be engaged to maintain theaccessed and displayed file for later reference, i.e., the movabledisplay device which has its pause control engaged can be positionedanywhere with respect to the large screen 20 and the accessed anddisplayed file will be maintained on the small display. The movabledisplay device whose pause control was not engaged can then be utilizedfor accessing a different file.

The first and second embodiments described above relate to accessingfiles according to icons displayed at various locations on the largescreen. In a third embodiment of the invention, the image informationdisplayed on the large screen is continous and spans the complete areaof the large screen, e.g., the displayed image information represents amap. As shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the complete surface of thelarge display is divided into several matrixes, each of which contains apart of the total image displayed on the large display. When theposition sensor 60 of the movable display device 50 is aimed within oneof the matrixes of the large display 20, the image information withinthat aimed-at matrix is displayed on the small display 80. Thus, as theoperator pans the movable display device across the surface of the largedisplay 20, images corresponding to parts of the image displayed on thelarge display 20 will be displayed on the small display 80. In thisregard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,255 to Hohmann and U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,186to Koga et al disclose systems wherein a part of an image displayed on alarge screen is displayed on a small screen.

The third embodiment of the invention may also includes a zoomingfunction. Zooming functions are well known in the art. For example, theKoga et al patent cited above provides a zooming function which changesthe correspondence ratio between the display screen of a CRT display andan integrated flat panel display. In the Koga et al system, the zoomingfunction is enabled by use of a digitizer and a coordinate input pen.According to the third embodiment of the invention, the zooming functionis enabled by moving the position sensor 60 of the movable displaydevice within a predetermined distance from the large display 20, e.g.,within three meters. That is, as was the case for accessing file AA inthe previous embodiments, the computer 30 determines from the output ofthe position sensor 60 whether or not the movable display device 50 iswithin a predetermined distance from the large screen 20. If it isdetermined that the position sensor 60 of the movable display device 50is within this predetermined distance, then the zooming function for theimage presently displayed on the movable display 80 is enabled. Thezooming function can be disabled by simply moving the position sensor 60of the movable display device such that it is positioned a distance fromthe large screen 20 which is greater than-the predetermined distance.

In a fourth embodiment of the invention, the large screen 20 is replacedwith a physical model, e.g., a model of an airplane. In this embodimentthe position sensor would be calibrated such that when the positionsensor of the movable display device is aimed at various parts of theairplane model, different files are retrieved and displayed on the smallscreen, respectively. For example, a first file containing informationconcerning the cockpit of an airplane would be retrieved and displayedon the small display 80 when the position sensor 60 of the movabledisplay device 50 is aimed at the cockpit part of the model airplane.Similarly, another file containing information concerning the wings ofan airplane would be retrieved and displayed on the small display 80when the position sensor 60 of the movable display device 50 is aimed atthe wings of the model airplane.

In a fifth embodiment of the invention, the interactive display systemof the invention is utilized with actual physical objects. In thisregard, various position sensors are available, such as the well knownLORAN position sensor, for determining the position or location of anaircraft or boat. According to this embodiment, the location informationfrom such a position sensor is used to address a file containinginformation concerning the determined location. For example, a look-uptable would be provided in the storage device 40 such that if a positionsensor mounted in an aircraft provides location information indicatingthat the aircraft is located above a specific city, then a filecontaining image information concerning the city would be retrieved fromthe storage device 40 and displayed on the small display 80 of themovable display device 50.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above,it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes andmodifications may be made without departing from the invention in itsbroader aspects. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover allsuch changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scopeof the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An interactive display system comprising:a firstdisplay means; a movable display means comprising a second display meanswhich is substantially smaller than said first display means, inputmeans for inputting information, and a position sensor for providingposition information of said movable display means relative to saidfirst display means; and computer means, coupled to said first displaymeans and said movable display means, for storing image information forsaid first and second display means, said computer means supplyingstored image information to said second display means in accordance withthe position information provided by said position sensor of saidmovable display means.
 2. The interactive display system as defined inclaim 1, wherein said computer means also supplies image information tosaid second display means in accordance with information inputted bysaid input means.
 3. The interactive display system as defined in claim1, wherein said movable display means is movable in six differentdegrees of movement relative to said first display means.
 4. Theinteractive display system as defined in claim 3, wherein said positionsensor provides the position information in terms of the six differentdegrees of movement of said movable display means.
 5. The interactivedisplay system as defined in claim 1, wherein said movable display meansis movable in first, second and third directions, said first and seconddirections being orthogonal to each other, and the third direction beingorthogonal to the first and second directions.
 6. The interactivedisplay system as defined in claim 5, wherein said movable display meansis also moveable in a yaw direction with respect to the first direction,a pitch direction with respect to the second direction, and a rolldirection with respect to the third direction, and wherein said positioninformation provided by said position sensor includes informationrepresenting said first, second, third, yaw, pitch and roll directionsof said movable display means relative to said first display means. 7.The interactive display system as defined in claim 1, wherein saidsecond display means is one of a liquid crystal display, anelectroluminescent display, and a plasma display.
 8. The interactivedisplay system as defined in claim 1, wherein said first display meansdisplays, in accordance with image information supplied from saidcomputer, a plurality of icons, and wherein said computer means storesimage information concerning each of the displayed icons.
 9. Theinteractive display system as defined in claim 8, wherein said computermeans supplies, in response to position information from said positionsensor indicating that said movable display means is aimed at one ofsaid displayed icons, first image information to said second displaymeans, said supplied first image information representing informationconcerning said one displayed icon.
 10. The interactive display systemas defined in claim 8, wherein said computer means supplies, in responseto position information from said position sensor indicating that saidmovable display means is aimed at the one displayed icon and that saidmovable display means is within a predetermined distance from said largedisplay means, second image information to said second display means,said supplied second image information representing informationconcerning said one displayed icon but being different from the firstimage information.
 11. The interactive display system as defined inclaim 1, wherein said first displays means displays an image comprisinga plurality of different portions, said computer means supplies, inresponse to position information from said position sensor indicatingthat said movable display means is aimed at one of the portions of theimage displayed on said first display means, first image information tosaid second display means, said first image information representing theone image portion displayed on said first display means, and whereinsaid second display means displays, in response to said first imageinformation, said one image portion at a magnification which issubstantially equal to a magnification of the one image portiondisplayed on said first display means.
 12. The interactive displaysystem as defined in claim 11, wherein said computer means supplies, inresponse to position information from said position sensor indicatingthat said movable display means is aimed at the one image portion andthat said movable display means is within a predetermined distance fromsaid large display means, second image information to said seconddisplay means, said second image information representing the one imageportion displayed on said first display means, and wherein said seconddisplay means displays said one image portion at a magnification whichis substantially different from a magnification of the one image portiondisplayed on said first display means.
 13. The interactive displaysystem as defined in claim 1, wherein said movable display meanscomprises a plurality of movable display means, each of said pluralityof movable display means comprising said second display means, saidinput means and said position sensor.
 14. The interactive display systemas defined in claim 1, wherein said input means comprisesmanually-operated controls.
 15. The interactive display system asdefined in claim 1, wherein said input means is operable for supplying acontrol signal to said computer means, and wherein said computer meanssupplies, in response to said control signal, a same image informationto said second display means regardless of the position information fromsaid position sensor.
 16. An interactive display system for interactingwith a model of a physical object, the model containing a plurality ofdifferent parts, the system comprising:a movable display meanscomprising display means, input means for inputting information, and athree-dimensional position sensor for providing three-dimensionalposition information of said movable display means relative to themodel; and computer means, coupled to said movable display means, forstoring image information for said display means, said image informationrepresenting information concerning the model, said computer meanssupplying, in response to position information provided by said positionsensor indicating that said movable display means is aimed at the model,image information to said display means.
 17. The interactive displaysystem as defined in claim 16, wherein said computer means supplies, inresponse to position information from said position sensor indicatingthat said movable display means is aimed at one of plurality of parts ofthe model, first image information to said display means, said suppliedfirst image information representing information concerning the onemodel part.
 18. The interactive display system as defined in claim 17,wherein said computer means supplies, in response to positioninformation from said position sensor indicating that said movabledisplay means is aimed at the one model part and that said movabledisplay means is within a predetermined distance from the model, secondimage information to said display means, said supplied second imageinformation representing information concerning said one model part butbeing different from the first image information.
 19. The interactivedisplay system as defined in claim 16, wherein said input means isoperable for supplying a control signal to said computer means, andwherein said computer means supplies, in response to said controlsignal, a same image information to said display means regardless of theposition information from said position sensor.
 20. An interactivedisplay system for interacting with a physical object comprising:amovable display means comprising display means, input means forinputting information, and a three-dimensional position sensor forproviding three-dimensional position information of said movable displaymeans relative to the object; and computer means, coupled to saidmovable display means, for storing image information for said displaymeans, said image information representing information concerning theobject, said computer means supplying, in response to positioninformation provided by said position sensor indicating that saidmovable display means is aimed at the object and within a predetermineddistance from the object, the image information to said display means.21. A method for displaying images in an interactive display systemcomprising:a first display means; a movable display means having asecond display means which is substantially smaller than said firstdisplay means, input means for inputting information, and a positionsensor for providing position information of said movable display meansrelative to said first display means; and computer means, coupled tosaid first display means and said movable display means, said methodcomprising the steps of: storing, in said computer means, imageinformation for said first and second display means, and first supplyingstored image information to said second display means in response to theposition information provided by said three-dimensional position sensorof said movable display means.
 22. The method as defined in claim 21,wherein said step of first supplying includes the step of secondsupplying image information to said second display means in response toinformation inputted by said input means.
 23. The method defined inclaim 21, further including the step of second supplying to said firstdisplay image information including a plurality of icons, and whereinsaid step of first storing includes the step of second storing imageinformation concerning each of the displayed icons.
 24. A method ofoperating an interactive display system interacting with a model of aphysical object, the model containing a plurality of different parts,the system comprising:a movable display means having display means,input means for inputting information, and a three-dimensional positionsensor for providing three-dimensional position information of saidmovable display means relative to the model; and computer means, coupledto said movable display means, the method comprising the steps of:storing image information for said display means and first supplying, inresponse to position information provided by said three-dimensionalposition sensor indicating that said movable display means is aimed atthe model, image information to said display means.
 25. The method asdefined in claim 24, wherein said step of first supplying includes thestep of second supplying, in response to position information from saidposition sensor indicating that said movable display means is aimed atone of plurality of parts of the model, first image information to saiddisplay means.
 26. The method as defined in claim 25, wherein said stepof first supplying includes the step of third supplying, in response toposition information from said position sensor indicating that saidmovable display means is aimed at the one model part and that saidmovable display means is within a predetermined distance from the model,second image information to said display means, said supplied secondimage information representing information different from the firstimage information.
 27. A method of operating an interactive displaysystem interacting with a physical object comprising a movable displaymeans having display means, input means for inputting information, and athree-dimensional position sensor for providing three-dimensionalposition information of said movable display means relative to theobject; and computer means, coupled to said movable display means, themethod comprising the steps of:storing, in said computer means, imageinformation for said display means; and supplying, in response toposition information provided by said three-dimensional position sensorindicating that said movable display means is aimed at the object andwithin a predetermined distance from the object, the image informationto said display means.
 28. A method of operating a multiple displaysystem comprising the steps of:storing first data representative of aplurality of images, retrieving second data from said first datarepresentative of a first image at a first resolution displaying saidfirst image on a first display utilizing said second data, and moving amoveable display with respect to said displayed first image, displayinga second image on said moveable display utilizing third data, detectingthe movement of said moveable display, generating tracking signalsindicative of the position and movement of said moveable display,generating a plurality of control signals, retrieving said third datafrom said first data in response to said tracking signals and saidplurality of control signals and coupling said third data to saidmoveable display for displaying said second image.